by Brian Ellison | Aug 14, 2015 | Marriage & Civil Unions, Personal Testimony
By Bob Coates The congregation at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church has been in conversation over the issue of homosexuality and the church for the past five years. As one of the few openly gay members in the church, it has been a roller-coaster ride, to say the least –...
by Brian Ellison | Jul 16, 2015 | Biblical Interpretation, Marriage & Civil Unions, Personal Testimony, Theology
by Michael B. Regele Nashville, Abingdon Press, 2014. A book review by Tricia Dykers Koenig Love God with all you have and all you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. Are these two Great Commandments ever in conflict? Does God put people of faith in the position...
by Brian Ellison | Apr 6, 2015 | Biblical Interpretation, Personal Testimony
By Tricia Dykers Koenig Our PCUSA Book of Confessions, in the Larger Catechism [7.254], teaches that “a charitable esteem of our neighbors, loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name” and “a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an...
by Brian Ellison | Mar 16, 2015 | Covenant Network News, PC(USA) History & Polity, Personal Testimony
Covenant Network Regional Conference ~ Philadelphia, PA Keynote Address by the Rev. Dr. Mark Hostetter February 7, 2015 Good morning! I remember back in communicants class in 8th grade, before classes on Sunday mornings, the pastor would look at our sleepy teenage...
by Brian Ellison | Mar 10, 2015 | Biblical Interpretation, Marriage & Civil Unions, Personal Testimony, Sermon, Uncategorized
The Rev. Margaret LaMotte Torrence, Interim Pastor of Black Mountain (NC) Presbyterian Church, preached this sermon on February 1, 2015, the day after the Presbytery of Western North Carolina affirmed Amendment 14-F. Her comments at the presbytery meeting are...
by Brian Ellison | Mar 5, 2015 | Covenant Congregations, Marriage & Civil Unions, Personal Testimony
When the Presbytery of Northeast Georgia met to consider Amendment 14-F, both the Pastor of Nacoochee Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Robert W. Prim, and Ruling Elder Theodore Brothers shared their testimony. Bob Prim: God is love, and those who abide in...
by Brian Ellison | Mar 2, 2015 | Marriage & Civil Unions, Personal Testimony
Debbie and Mike Regele prepared these remarks for the debate on the Marriage Amendment 14-F at the Presbytery of Los Ranchos. Debbie is a ruling elder from Laguna Presbyterian Church. Mike, a teaching elder, is president and CEO of DecisionInsite, LLC, which...
by Brian Ellison | Feb 19, 2015 | Marriage & Civil Unions, PC(USA) History & Polity, Personal Testimony
By the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Cuthbertson My thoughts as we approach our presbytery vote on Amendment 14-F this Saturday are focused in two directions. First, I hope for passage. Historically we have tended to vote strongly in support of such items. A second issue is the...
by Brian Ellison | Feb 18, 2015 | Biblical Interpretation, Personal Testimony, Theology
A Book Review by Tricia Dykers Koenig From Presbyterian pastor Chris Neufeld-Erdman, published by Cascade Books – A Table for All: How I Came to Understand the Gospel Means Full Inclusion of Gays and Lesbians. [Order here.] Written by a Christian leader with a...
by Brian Ellison | Feb 12, 2015 | Biblical Interpretation, Personal Testimony, Sermon
A Sermon on James 2:1-17 By the Rev. Bertram Johnson Covenant Network of Presbyterians Regional Conference Mercer Island Presbyterian Church 30 January 2015 Good afternoon. It is my true and humble pleasure to be here with you all to take part in this Marriage Matters...